The New York Times reports the Japanese American National Museum is still deciding how to best handle artifacts from various incarceration camps where Japanese Americans were imprisoned during World War II.
The artifacts were purchased by the museum after a national uproar forced the cancellation of a planned auction of the items in April by the auction house Rago in New Jersey.
Many were upset that anyone would profit from such a shameful period in American history. Conservators and curators are working on the best way to restore and display them. The items include art works by many of those Japanese Americans imprisoned as well as other personal artifacts which those incarcerated gave to Allen Hendershott Eaton, a vocal critic of the camps. After his death, the artifacts passed through various hands and eventually to the Ryan family which put it up for sale.
The Museum is now considering loaning the items to various museums opened at the various prisons including the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center in Powell, Wyoming. Of concern is the fragile nature of many of the items.
“People made beautiful things out of anything they could find,” said Greg Kimura, president of the Japanese American National Museum.
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